Bride on The Go
by M. Mellark
Summary: Based on the two shot. Now a longer story, just click! (re-posting because it got removed) "I did not marry Ron. I was about to do it when I realized that the man I wanted" she stopped and then corrected herself ", the man I needed was not the one standing next to me… It was you" "It took you almost marrying the weasel to notice that?" Draco asked "Why?"
1. I Ran Away!

_**So... I've been working on this all day (no kidding). Hope you read and enjoy.**_

_**Disclaimer: I own nothing.  
**_

_**Warning: Slightly OCC Hermione (why am I telling you this? Because she doesn't care about Ron, well, not as much as someone would expect her to).  
**_

_**Rated M for lemon.  
**_

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_**Bride on The Go**_

_**By M. Mellark  
**_

"Damn it, Luna! I RAN away! I left him ALONE!" Hermione shouted as she shook her hands above her head.

Luna was staring at her with great interest. Hermione was still wearing her wedding gown and she had to admit her friend looked really beautiful. Hermione also had the kind of beauty that could totally work with the natural look. Her hair, that hair that was once so messy and bushy; was now deadly soft and her curls were something worth looking at. And yes, Luna had once thought that Ronald Weasley didn't deserve someone as beautiful as Hermione, but then she reminded herself that if he loved her… and she loved him in return, then everything was just fine.

"Why did you leave?" Luna asked.

"Can I sit?" Hermione asked as she sat on a chair behind her, Luna just nodded with her head and waited until her friend calmed down "Okay, it all started a couple months ago…"

Then Luna crossed her arms and rested her back against a wall.

"Tell me more"

Hermione sighed.

"You know I live in London" she started "and Ron refused to move, so even though we are together… we're apart at the same time. It's hard, I loved him and I wanted to be with him" Hermione said.

Luna quirked her eyebrows.

"_Loved… Wanted? _Past tense?"

"That's the thing. I was already doubting if our relationship was going somewhere, if getting married was the right thing to do and everything but… When I thought about leaving him" Hermione paused and took a deep breath ", leaving him didn't make any sense. Now, I guess I was just afraid of feeling lonely and that's why I let all of this come this far, but back then… I was terrified of being alone and staying with him was 'the right thing' to do"

Hermione had a bitter smile on her face. Inside her head, the lioness was scolding herself for being such a prat.

"I know it's stupid. And selfish. It's until now that I realize that maybe all I wanted was someone I could label, someone I could call a boyfriend…" Hermione was about to cry now "But then again, he wasn't there"

"Keep going, this is… interesting" said Luna. When she finished her sentence Hermione glared at her "And good; it's good for you… Letting all out" Luna added, trying to make it sound like it wasn't one of the most entertaining things someone had ever told her.

Hermione made an odd noise before continuing. She ran her hands along her lap, trying to accommodate her long white dress.

"So, since I was convinced I could make it, I decided to go to Berlin, you know, to spoil myself a little before the wedding. And that's when I ran into Malfoy" said the Gryffindor.

Luna almost choked when she heard that. Malfoy? Draco Malfoy? The one that used to call her 'Mudblood'? She couldn't believe her ears; she analyzed her friend's face, trying to find a lie hiding somewhere between her features… But apparently Hermione was dead serious.

"I know…" said Hermione, shaking her head as if she herself couldn't believe what she just said.

"But, does that mean…? What is that even supposed to mean, Hermione?" asked Luna.

"We kind of started an affair. At first I was reluctant to give in, but then I realized he was everything I was looking for! He was romantic, smart… cocky as hell and his ego is way too big, but somehow I liked being with him" Hermione was now smiling the way someone does when they're recalling good memories.

"Talking to him became an addiction and I love the way he smirks at me. He changed so much, and yet, somehow, he was still the same Draco Malfoy we all knew. He had all these walls around him and it was hard for him to get near me, but Merlin, Luna… When he let me in, I just… I started to love him" Hermione sighed "Then everything got complicated. He asked me about Ron and I had to tell him…"

Luna saw how her smile turned into a sad expression, her mouth became a thin line and her eyes lost the spark they had a few seconds ago. And it was weird seeing a bride like that, all sad and unhappy when they're supposed to be pure joy. Hermione looked pained.

"What did you tell him?" she asked when she noticed Hermione seemed to lose the track of the conversation they were having.

"I had to tell him we were going to get married and… he looked so devastated, Luna. Draco left the day after I confessed him that I had no intentions of leaving Ron. I just panicked! Was I going to leave the weasel for the ferret?" Hermione asked.

Luna took a deep breath and then walked towards Hermione; she knelt before her and smiled a little, just to try to comfort her. Didn't seem to work but at least she could see Hermione relaxing her shoulders.

"I understand. But you were right when you said you were being selfish, Hermione. All of this also hurt Ron" Luna said with a serious tone "But it's done now, and you have to deal with it" she didn't mean to sound rude, but she had to be honest.

That's when Hermione broke down. She started crying hard and her sobs filled the entire room.

"I feel so lost" she said ", I feel like everything I've ever done is a big mistake" Hermione said while she rubbed her temples. Whenever she cried her head ached.

"Stop crying your heart out, Hermione. This is just a small bump on the road, all you have to do is… well, do something"

Hermione nodded.

"Right now I wish I had a crystal ball… Know that everything is going to be alright in the end"

"Come on, you know everything is going to be okay. And trying to know the future is not good, far from soothing you; it could unnerve you even more. Focus on the present, think about where you want to be tomorrow and try to get there by acting today"

"You're right… but, what can I do?" she asked.

"Well, to me it's pretty clear" Luna smiled and held Hermione's hands between her own. Her friend gave her a desperate glare.

"Please, tell me!" Hermione shouted.

"You love Draco Malfoy" assured Luna, still kneeling before her "And I'm sure he's falling apart without you; just as much as you are without him. Leaving Ron alone on the aisle was wrong, but you did it because you were following your heart, and that's exactly why I'm telling you this. You know what you want to do" explained Luna with a smirk on her face.

It all went suddenly silent.

"Say it, Hermione" demanded Luna, but her friend kept quiet "Say it!"

"I'm going to go find Draco…"

And then Luna smiled.

* * *

He didn't live at the manor anymore. After a session of passionate lovemaking, he had told her that the manor had too many bad memories, things he wanted so desperately to forget… He just couldn't stay there.

So Draco had moved and now he lived in Oxford.

Merlin, she really did miss him. She missed his touch, his kisses… It was just utterly stupid to believe that cheating on Ron with Draco was right, and then thinking that she could go back to Ron as if her feelings for Draco didn't exist made her the most stupid person alive. She knew she'd have to ask for Ron's forgiveness, because what she did was awfully wrong… But it was nerve racking knowing that the only person she wanted to be forgiven by was the one that was now inside the house in front of her.

Hermione was still wearing her dress, couldn't care less about her looks. She knocked on the door, hoping he would open it and she wouldn't find him with Astoria Greengrass or Pansy… or any other woman. But nothing happened.

"Draco!" she called.

Hermione was not deaf and she could hear someone's footsteps behind the heavy door. She was damn sure he was there… His house had lots of windows, so he maybe even had seen her coming. Draco had to open the door… He had to…

"Draco! Please, open the door!" Hermione yelled this time.

After a few more minutes of waiting, the door remained closed. But Granger was not going to give up so easily; she was going to keep knocking and calling his name until he had no other choice but to open the bloody door. She was going to drive him insane.

And as she did, tears started to run down her face. Her fist was beginning to ache, now she was sure he was not going to open… but she kept hitting as if it was a reflex. Hermione closed her eyes, trying to stop the tears from pouring… Her head was pounding again and she hated that feeling. But it was then, when her fist hit something soft and firm at the same time, that she opened her eyes.

"You look beautiful, shouldn't be crying"

His voice…

"Draco…" she gasped "I thought… I thought you were not going to open" she said with a trembling voice, her throat aching from the big knot that was forming there.

Draco's face was serious, he stood still in the door frame and his cold glance was fixed on her, Hermione felt naked in front of him. Just when everything was screaming that going there was just another mistake, she heard a little voice saying that for the first time in months, she was doing something right. So, as the lioness she was, Hermione braced herself and looked him straight in the eye.

"You were going to beat the fucking door down, and this wood is expensive… So I better opened" he spat.

"I'm sorry… Draco, I'm so sorry" she cried.

"Sorry? For lying to me or what?" Hermione could tell he was pissed, but also hurt.

"Everything"

"The thing is that I fucking opened up to you, told you everything… and you lied! Not any kind of lie... a lie that involved you getting fucking married to Weasley" Draco shouted.

"I know it was wrong, but I was confused and…" Draco cut her off.

"And now you know where you're standing? Hermione, look at you. In your wedding dress but at your lover's house…" he never took his eyes off of her "Your hubby must be waiting for you, though it's nice… You know? You coming here and rub it all on my face? Bloody fantastic" and with that, he intended to close the door.

Hermione grabbed his hand, surprisingly he didn't move away.

"I did not marry Ron. I was about to do it when I realized that the man I wanted" she stopped and then corrected herself ", the man I _needed_ was not the one standing next to me… It was you"

"It took you almost marrying the weasel to notice that?" Draco asked "Why?"

"Back in Berlin, I always thought…" she sighed "given your reputation and our past, I always believed that you were going to be the one to hurt me…"then she reached out and caressed his cheek" That's why I tried to ignore my feelings for you. Somehow I thought Ron would never hurt me, and if he ever did, it would never be as painful as if it had been you. It's ironic that I ended up hurting both of you, but Draco… I just wish" then she just started to cry again.

"It killed me when you told me you wanted Weasley, the memory of that night still haunts me, Hermione" Draco confessed, and Hermione could see that Luna was right when she told her that Draco must have been aching too.

Guilt overwhelmed her and she knew that whatever she said next, would define her future. But what could she say? There was nothing that could explain her behavior, nothing that could make him instantly forgive her and certainly was not going to Obliviate him. She was becoming desperate; blood was pumping through her veins so hard that she swore she was going to explode anytime now.

"Granger, calm down. You're shaking" he said trying to soothe her. Hermione didn't even realize she was trembling. But she couldn't help it. Night was falling upon them and the thin fabric of her wedding dress wasn't exactly made to keep her warm, a cold wind was whistling and she noticed she was terribly cold.

Then Draco hugged her, burying his face in the crook of her neck. The embrace was short though, because he pulled apart and then whispered…

"Come inside" and stepped aside to let her go into the warm interior of his house. Somehow still unsure, Hermione walked inside. The nice wave of warmth coming from the chimney was something her cold skin welcomed happily.

"I'll prepare you some tea" Draco said making his way to the kitchen.

"No, it's fine. Really, I just need…" she started, but then Hermione didn't know how to complete the sentence.

Draco stared at her and then he walked towards her, they were just a few steps away when he stopped.

"You must be cold" he stated "I'm sorry I kept you waiting outside so long…" then Draco caressed her shoulders with both of his hands "How did you get here anyway?" he asked.

Hermione blushed.

"I flew here" she answered lowering her widened his eyes and his mouth went dry for a second.

"You 'flew' here?" he asked bewildered "You, Hermione? On a broom? For me?"

Hermione nodded. Draco smiled sweetly and cupped her face, moving his hands from her bare shoulders and forced her to look at him.

"You hate flying, love"

He called her 'love'… Hermione's heart skipped a beat and then she gave him a shy smile.

"I had to come see you, and I had no intention of taking the whole traffic crap" she explained being completely honest "Besides, Luna won't miss her old broom…" Hermione felt tears coming again "I just wish you could forgive me" she said at last.

"I already did" Draco ran his thumb across her wet cheek "I forgive you, Hermione"

She felt like she was going to die, her heart was not beating at all now.

"Does it have to do with the fact that I used a broom?" she smiled.

"No…" Draco wrapped one arm around her waist and he placed a hand in the back of her neck, drawing her closer to him. He watched as Hermione closed her eyes and then he whispered against her cold lips "But it helped"

Then he just kissed her, hard and passionately. Letting her know how much he'd missed her. Hermione was eager to kiss him back, pulling Draco closer to her body and tangling her hands in his blond and smooth hair. She wondered if it was a turn off for him that she was wearing a wedding dress… But then every thought vanished when Draco entered her mouth, assaulting her with hunger and violence. Merlin… She loved the way he kissed.

Hermione could feel Draco's hands wandering along her bare back… and she shivered. She drove her hands underneath his shirt and felt his toned abdomen. Draco flinched a little.

"Cold hands" he muttered.

"Sorry" she answered with a giggle.

She bit his lower lip and continued moving her hands, until she reached his chest. His skin was flawless, and she loved how it felt when she touched him.

"Let's take this upstairs" he said as he took her by the hand and walked her to the second floor.

Once they were in his bedroom, Draco just stared at her. Hermione looked so damn beautiful that it killed him it was because she was going to marry Ronald Weasley and not him. Her dress was long and white, it had long sleeves but it exposed her shoulders and most of her back. Her hair was done beauty queen style, but a lot more 'Hermionesque'. Draco was sure the fabric was soft as silk… but all he wanted was…

"I want to tear that dress" he growled, his voice was now deep and wild.

"Then do it"

Draco drove her hands to the back of her dress and pulled at the edges of white fabric that covered her sides. When he did, the front of the dress got loose but she held it in place, pressing the fabric to her chest. He kissed her again then, but this kiss was sweet and tender… She felt him trying to move her hands away, but she held it in place. Right after that, Draco went down; kissing her cheek, then her jaw and when he reached that special place in her neck, she just lost it. Both of her hands fell to her sides and the dress fell to her feet. Now Hermione had nothing on but her strapless bra and her knickers.

She tugged at the bottom of his shirt and helped him getting out of it, which he did gladly. She bent forward and kissed his chest tenderly. Draco muttered something as she went up to kiss his neck, giving him small bites as she moved upwards.

Then he turned her around and pushed her onto his bed, he immediately followed and landed above her. He pressed his now hard member against her thigh, letting her know how much he wanted her and she moaned in return. Draco then lifted her up and unclasped her bra, exposing her breasts. He could see Hermione blushing when he was about to kiss them, and he had to force himself to take his eyes off of her… watching her was addictive. He then nipped her left nipple with his teeth, and the other he pinched with his hand. Hermione held back a curse as she arched her back, she yelped when he bit a little harder.

"Draco…" now she was begging, she wanted him desperately.

"What, love?" he replied with his sexy voice.

"Please…" she tried to reach down to unbuckle his belt, but he pushed her hands away.

"Patience" and then Draco kept going down, kissing her all the way until he reached her knickers. By the time he removed them, Hermione was not thinking. Inside her head, there was a blur, something between pleasure, need and love. She just couldn't get enough of him and she will never become tired of giving to him all that she was.

Hermione gasped when she felt him kissing her down there, the filter between her brain and her mouth was now gone and she was sure she was mumbling stupid things with his name included somewhere in the man wanted to kill her. His pace was deadly sensual, enough to drive her insane but not rapid enough to make her reach her limit.

"Draco, please!" Hermione shouted. Hermione was sure Draco couldn't take it any longer, because when he reached up again she was able to see the massive bulge in his trousers… He must be in pain. Before she could even talk again he kissed her. The Gryffindor saw a glimpse of his hands working his trousers down, along with his underwear.

She just wanted to feel him…

"Fuck…" he hissed when he entered her.

Draco kept still for a moment, giving her time to adjust. When she told him it was okay for him to move, he started with a slow pace. Just rocking his hips back and forward, it felt so bloody good… It was like being home again. Hermione sank her short nails in the soft skin of his back, scratching him a little bit in the process. Then she started to search for his lips, she wanted to kiss him so bad right now…When they brought their lips together it was magical, Draco swallowed her moans as he kissed her.

Then he went down and nibbled at her neck, leaving a love mark. Damn, she was his. He felt miserable without her, and now, having Granger back in his arms, he couldn't believe how the hell he had made it, living without her seemed impossible now. He had no intentions of letting her go, never.

Draco accelerated his pace, his thrusts faster and only lasted for a couple minutes before he felt Hermione's inner walls clenching, trying to keep him inside. And Draco was eager to stay there. Just a few more pumps and he exploded inside her, taking her to the stars with him.

Hermione shouted his name; he buried his head in the space between her breasts. He was able to listen to Hermione's wild heartbeat…

"I love you, Hermione" he said trying to catch his breath back.

Hermione smiled, feeling completely happy. Right then, she didn't remember Ron or what her friends would say about her… she just focused on Draco.

"Merlin, I love you too…"

**_Finite Incantatem_**

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_**Reviews, please, please, please? :) (Again, sorry if I made any grammar mistakes)  
**_

_**And yes, I know you've read this ending many, many times! But how else was I supossed to end this? Too corny... but they're just so perfect...  
**_

_**Ta, love.  
**_


	2. Waking Up

_**Okay, so when two of you (LadyF and RegularTeen) asked me for a sequel, I was really, really excited and I thought: Why the hell not? So... BAM! Here it is. It's short though.  
**_

_**It also goes from Draco's POV. Again, I own nothing... and that's it. Read and enjoy! :)  
**_

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**II**

Mornings in Oxford were cold, but for some reason, Draco felt warm and happy. Just a few days ago, everything made him think of a cold and lonely morning. With birds barely singing and his house empty as hell. But in that moment, with Hermione's head resting on his chest and her arm around his waist, he couldn't even picture those images again. Not because he couldn't do it, but because they didn't belong in his mind anymore.

Now she was there and she wasn't going anywhere, unless that "anywhere" meant the bathroom to take a shower, and he was damn sure he was going to join her in there… For then going back to his bed and occasionally the kitchen, because they eventually were going to need some food. He smirked and chuckled, he was going to make sure Hermione couldn't walk in a few days.

The soft movements of his chest caused Hermione to slightly open her eyes, she closed them again but Draco knew she was awake now.

"Morning" he said quietly.

Then Hermione mumbled something… Maybe she was greeting him back, but he wasn't sure. So he just laughed again. Then she suddenly raised her head and glared at him.

"Come on, stop laughing. I don't like my head bouncing against your chest" Hermione complained.

One thing it amused her about him, even though she denied it, was his dirty mind. He liked to tease her when she made comments with a double meaning. Hermione was somehow still so innocent… He didn't know how she did it; spending so much time with him and keeping her mind clean of dirty thoughts. And right then, Hermione presented him another chance to tease her.

"Oh yeah, but you love when your hips bounce against mine" he mocked, quirking his brows and giggling as he spoke.

Hermione turned bright red, her cheeks looked like rubies and he had to admit she looked adorable.

"You dirty prat" Hermione pinched his arm, hard enough to make him flinch and scream a rather loud "Ouch!"

Then she smirked. Back in Berlin, when he made such comments, she used to kick him under the table, because Draco's timing was very special. He loved to make her uncomfortable when they were out, eating somewhere nice with lots of people around them. And most of the time, he yelled those things out loud so everybody would look at her and believe that it was HER the one with the dirty and twisted mind.

"You know you love it" Draco kept teasing "Last night you were thrilled with all the bouncing, darling!" he shouted, making emphasis on the "bouncing" word.

Then he reached under the soft sheets and tickled her. Hermione giggled; and her laugh was contagious. It was one of the happiest mornings he'd had in a long time, and when Hermione was near enough, he kissed her.

Just a long and tender kiss. It could turn into something passionate and wild anytime, but they just kept it that way. It was odd remembering past experiences with other women when the one woman he loved was with him at the moment, but he couldn't help it. Draco recalled all the times he'd kissed other women and all he could ever feel was lust. Because that was the reason why they were kissing, the both of them just wanted to shag. He'd leave the next morning and that would be it; because it had to be in their place. Never his house.

But when he realized that he could kiss Hermione just because he needed to, because he wanted to… with no promises of going any further; was also when he knew that Granger had stolen his heart. He was deeply and madly in love with her.

"Are you hungry?" he asked her, breaking the kiss.

Hermione smiled and then she nodded, her hair was fanning all over the pillow. Her soft curls were really messy right now. And Draco loved it.

"What would you like to eat?" he asked again.

She had a devilish expression on her face right now. He backed off, just a little.

"You" and then she kissed him again. And that time, with just that kiss, Draco knew that they would probably stay in bed all day long.

* * *

_**Thank you very much to Myra and **__**Sorceress of Magic 15 for reviewing too, means a lot to me.**_


	3. Confession

_**Enjoooooy!**_

_**I'm warning you... I talk a lot at the end of this short chapter. Get ready for some babbling.  
**_

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III

Hermione Granger could be taken for many things, innocent was one of them. You just had to look at her angel face; you'd instantly believe she's some kind of saint. But then again, she'd be fooling you. Her gracious way of walking, her neat way of dressing and talking… It may suit her, but it was not who she really was. And Draco knew that better than anybody else. He'd seen the wild side of her, the not-so-uptight Hermione Granger everyone was used to. Another fine discovery Draco had made, was that "Mrs. Know It All" didn't act like that with everybody… Only with him. He was the one who set her free.

He loved her, so, so much. And he delighted at the fact that it was him and not the bloody Weasel the one who could actually make her feel like that. So she was a puppet? With him, she could be the puppeteer.

He'd been right when he said that they wouldn't be leaving his bed; and when they went downstairs to grab some food, she took out whipped cream from the fridge. Oh so many wicked and twisted ideas came to his mind… He felt Hermione's hungry look fixing on him, and it was more than he could handle. She grinned as she approached him, and when they were inches away from each other, she gave him a small peck on the lips. Draco leaned forward to kiss her again, but she pulled away. Hermione opened the fridge's door again and took some strawberries; grabbed the whipped cream and started dipping the strawberries and eating them as if nothing had happened. She'd been toying with him, provoking him…

"So, Draco. How's the muggle world treating you?" she asked as she jumped backward to sit on the marble counter, careful not to sit on the sink.

"You think you can just start a chit chat?" he snapped his fingers "Just like that? Really?" he was disappointed.

"Uhm, yes. It's not that hard, actually" Hermione mocked, then stared at him "So? How is it?" she asked again, not wanting to give up the subject.

Draco sighed and pressed his hands to his forehead, trying to erase all the images of Hermione covered in whipped cream; of taking her hard and mercilessly against the wall… Damn her, he'd be thinking about it all day long…

"Good. It's going alright; best decision I ever made. Happy now, luv?" because he was not happy, not at all.

Hermione chuckled and called him moving her forefinger. Draco reluctantly moved and stood right next to her.

"It's amazing how grumpy you are when you don't get what you want, Draco" Hermione started "And it's only 11:30… in the morning! Will I have to deal with your special mood all day?" she asked with a cynical tone.

Draco glared at her.

"Mood? What mood, Granger? You killed it!" Draco spat, clearly upset. But Hermione broke into laughter, holding her tummy so it wouldn't hurt. After all those years, roles were finally switched, now she was the one pissing him off.

"Oh, now it's funny?"

Hermione reached to him, she encircled his neck with her arms and drew him closer. Then she parted her legs and let Draco stand between her knees.

"I love you" she whispered "and I also love teasing you" Hermione added, smiling tenderly at him.

Then she pressed her lips to his. They'd spent the last two hours busy, and yet he still wanted her. And the witch in front of him was completely aware of that, she was taking advantage of him.

"How much do you love me, Hermione?" he asked her, Draco suddenly forgot the whole "turn on" thing. That question had been lingering in his mind, yet he couldn't put into words… Not until now. Now he needed and wanted to know.

Hermione gave him a serious grin and pressed her forehead against his own. Her brown eyes became a blur, he was sure he was cross-eyed right now, but he had to look her in the eyes whenever she answered.

"I don't know…" she said finally.

He stumbled backwards and felt like his legs were failing. What did she just say?

"Don't take this wrong way" she explained "I do love you, but quantifying it… It's almost impossible. Love it's not something you can measure, Draco. It's about trusting each other… Trust me when I say that I could never live without you, and that saying 'I love you very, very much' can't even start to describe what I feel for you. I would eventually run out of 'very-s'…" Hermione then kissed his forehead.

Draco felt touched by Hermione's words, yet he didn't know what to do. He his body wasn't responding to him anymore and in his head, he was kissing her. He was sure he had some kind of dazed look on his face because Hermione was quirking her brows.

"That wasn't what you wanted to hear…" she said as she tried to move away.

Her attempt to move snapped him out of his mind and he locked her between his arms, placing his hands on both of her sides against the counter.

"It wasn't what I was expecting to hear" Draco said "But it was the perfect answer"

Hermione smiled and then kissed him tenderly on the lips.

"Hermione" he said breaking the kiss. The way Draco said her name made her shiver; it sounded like a warning and tensed up.

"What?" she asked.

Draco sighed… He couldn't keep such a thing from her. He had to tell her. Last night, his "issue" didn't even cross his mind, but now he felt guilty. Hermione had the right to know.

"You know this is just the beginning, right?" he started "Us, I mean… This" he said gesturing the whole house and then pointed his finger to both of them "… We will have to go back to the real world and deal with our lives. And I don't know much about yours; but mine is pretty fucked up right now" then he pointed at his tattoo. The dark Lord's mark.

"What do you mean?" Hermione asked again.

"Death eaters. They're tracking them down again; the ones that ran away" Draco explained "And I'm one of them. That's why I was in Berlin in the first place, I was hiding… and this house, dear, is just one of the many I hide in"

"You're a fugitive!"

"Yes… I am"

* * *

_**Well, as you may notice, the first two chapters are not new, they belonged to the original one shot... then the two shot, and BAM! Now this story.**_

_**I'm still not quite sure why FF removed it, but I was really sad about it. I told you before that I was going to take my time to write a few chapters, but now I feel a lot of pressure (related with the "removing" thing of the original story), so I posted this and HONESTLY, it's all I've written. So... even though I have sort of a plot in my mind, I'm not sure how all of this is going to end. I beg you to be patient and "open minded?"... I'm going crazy.  
**_

_**Sorry for all the babbling and for such a short chapter, but again... I freaked out.  
**_


	4. More Time Together

IV

"When were you going to tell me!?" Hermione shouted in frustration, she was tugging at her hair so hard that Draco was afraid she'd tear some strands from her scalp.

After his confession, Hermione had jumped off of the counter and away from him. She'd been walking through the living room for a couple seconds, muttering and cursing for then sprinting upstairs, to his bedroom. He had of course followed her, and leaning against the door frame, far from trying to sooth her, he watched her go crazy. Draco still had no intentions of letting her go, but he was aware that paradise was not going to last forever; and a dark fear came creeping in, saying that she was going to leave… and that his resolution meant nothing.

Then he heard her sob. Perfect. He didn't want Hermione to cry over him. Draco took a step forward, but Hermione stopped him from getting any closer. She was trying her best to control her frantic breathing and her eyes had some tears just about to drop.

"Answer" she demanded with a firm but shaky voice from holding back the tears. Hermione crossed her arms. Bloody hell, he was losing her and he was doing absolutely nothing about it. Draco's heart shrieked as he began to talk again.

"I was going to tell you back in Berlin; don't know why I decided to ask you about the Weasel first. That gave the conversation a total turnaround, and when you told me all that crap" Draco gave her a sad look "well, telling you wasn't necessary anymore. You were going back to him and I would be out of the picture forever. I'm not trying to justify myself, but… do you see my point, Hermione?"

Now Hermione started to approach, her appearance softened a little. The fine features of her face relaxing as she moved closer.

"And what about now? That was in Berlin. Were you going to tell me now?" the words came out of her mouth as a whisper. Maybe she was scared of knowing the answer of that question, maybe Hermione believed that it was never his intention to tell her. But she'd be wrong…

Draco remembered himself rehearsing a speech and choosing the right words; explaining how the aurors, helping the Ministry, were tracking down the deserting death eaters that remained. In his mind it sounded all too well. But then, when he was about to tell her, when he saw how beautiful she looked… He was unable to talk. He felt like a teenager, nervous and lacking of courage. And it was that feeling what reminded him of Ronald Weasley, so he asked.

"Merlin, Draco! Come out of your mind! I'm talking to you about something important!" when had she gotten so close to him? She was barely two steps away… and her hands were placed on his shoulders, oh… she'd been shaking him.

"Of course I was. Not like you can hide something like that" he said finally. Hermione's grip softened, just enough for Draco to realize she'd been digging her nails into his flesh "Feel free to leave, if you want" and after that slipped out of his mouth, Draco wished fervently he could take it back.

For the look on her face, Draco could tell his words had touched some part of her heart… and those freaking words had wounded her.

"Leave?" Hermione repeated in disbelief "Leave? Like 'run-away-leave'? Who do you take me for, Malfoy? I'm not a deserter" and yes, she had said that with the double meaning. It sure wasn't necessary but she felt the urge to go back at him with something as harsh.

Back in Hogwarts, even though he didn't really hate Hermione, he didn't like her a lot. He thought she was a walking brain, and that whatever chance she got to brag, she would take. Hermione Granger was simply not someone he would lay an eye on. And it bothered him even more that he couldn't ignore her; just as much as she loved to brag, he loved to tease her. Of course, he was a cruel bastard and he realized about that way too late, but the lioness was always on his mind. When they saw each other in the halls, they couldn't help but stare. Ignoring the other was almost impossible.

She used to look at him like he was some kind of monster; and he would give her a blood freezing glare. His blue eyes would feel like ice to her. And right then, standing in his bedroom he gave her that same old look. Hermione stiffened.

"I'm sorry" she apologized "I shouldn't have said that" and then, tears came.

She stumbled backwards until she landed on the edge of his bed, the sheets were still a mess; product of their previous encounters. Hermione cried like a little girl.

"Hey, it's okay…" Draco said, leaving his current position at the door frame to go and sit right next to her.

Draco embraced her, nestling her bushy head in the crook of his neck. Then he rubbed Hermione's back and tried to calm her down.

"I'm not leaving, Draco… I'm not" Hermione sobbed.

"There's more" he sighed.

She didn't even move.

"What else?"

"Death eaters are chasing me too, not only the Ministry" Draco started "They still believe in Lord Voldemort's ideology and the fact that my family and I left them, well, it unnerves them" he explained.

"Harry's an auror. We should talk to him" Hermione said.

From all the things he was expecting Hermione to say, he never ever thought she was going suggest such a thing. Talking to Potter… What the hell was she thinking for Slytherin's sake?

"Hermione, we're not telling Potter about this. Actually, we're not telling anyone" Draco said. His sentence was rather an order.

"Am I the only one who knows about this place? This house, I mean" Hermione asked as she left the comfortable spot in his neck.

"Yes"

Of course she was the only one. No one would ever believe she knew something about his whereabouts; for most of the people, Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy never talked to each other ever again after leaving Hogwarts. That house located in Oxford was under the Fidelium charm, and when he told her it was because he trusted her enough. Anyhow, she didn't know anything about his secret place in Berlin… or the one in Sweden.

"I guess, if you're on the run, that you're going to leave soon. Aren't you?" she asked.

"Yes" Draco answered.

"And I can't go with you"

"No"

Now there was water in his eyes. But Hermione won't get to see that. He looked to the window and tried to calm himself, but he knew that she was aware of the weird movement of his chest, his breathing was not normal anymore and Hermione stretched her arm, just to place her hand on his cheek.

"Wish we had more time together" Hermione said quietly.

"Me too, Granger"

* * *

_**Yay! There's another chapter. The next one goes from Hermione's POV. Please review, I need to know if you like it. That'd be like... a HUGE motivation! **_


	5. On The Run

V

Draco's plan was running away. End of story.

And she thought he was utterly nuts. If his whole plan was running away until he grew old, he was totally out of his freaking mind. There had to be something they could do about this new and sickening situation, she didn't leave Ron just for being abandoned as well. They deserved a chance together, and she was going to make sure they did. Another reason why she was that worried was because not even Draco himself knew when he was going to leave again.

"So, you just wait until they're stepping on your tail…? Draco, you need a better plan!" she said gazing at him with concern.

Then Draco remained silent. She'd thought about all the reasons why they shouldn't be together and why it certainly was not going to work between them. First, they never really liked each other before. The attraction between them was very recent and they didn't know much about the other. Then, he used to be a death eater and now a fugitive. Also he had lied to her. They were not a match made in Heaven; they were a match made in Berlin under the effects of some odd moonlight.

When she saw him that night, she knew that whatever she needed, Draco could give her. It was her gut, her inner self talking to her. And she was sticking to that, no matter what. She didn't care about the consequences as long as he was with her, safe and sound.

Hermione wanted to ask him really bad how much time he believed they had, but it was useless. She knew someday she'd just wake up and he wouldn't be by her side anymore. She had longed for his touch way too long during the last weeks, and now fate was taking him away from her. And it was that feeling what made up her mind in the end.

She was telling Harry. Fuck Draco's opinion.

But first, she needed to clear things up with Ron, Ginny… Actually, the whole Weasley clan before showing up and saying she needed help, not for her but for Malfoy. And the most important part of her plan: Draco couldn't know anything about it.

"Are you just going to keep your mouth shut? Not going to say anything else?" Draco asked.

"What can I say? You obviously have decided everything and I don't get to choose what I want" she said infuriated.

"I was falling apart before we met again. You gave me hope, made me believe that things could change for me. But Hermione, I won't give myself in; to any of them. Don't want to end up dead or in Azkaban. And I can't let you come with me, it's not fair. I'll find a way to solve all this out before you even know it. You just… be patient please"

Hermione didn't say anything. She was being absorbed by a tidal wave of emotions and thoughts, all of them feeding the storm raging inside of her.

"I love you" Draco said.

It broke her heart to listen to those words.

"And I'll owl you" he added.

Hermione knew she had to get going. She felt like she was living inside an hourglass and the sand was slipping away; she needed to get to Grimmauld Place and talk to Harry. Harry alone. But yet, how was she going to leave him after swearing she was not going anywhere? Wouldn't that be contradictive as hell?

The atmosphere inside that room was crushing them; tension could be cut with a knife. Hermione needed to ease that tension and start working. Distracting Draco was the first part of her plan. When they went downstairs, she had been wearing his shirt and her knickers. Draco, on the other side, had just put his trousers back on and that was all. She smirked.

"When did you become such a corny man?" she asked, getting closer to him. The look she was giving him was unmistakable, couldn't be misunderstood. She was looking at him as if he was some kind of prey and she was the hunter.

Draco gazed at her in bewilderment.

"Granger, _now _you're in the mood?" he asked.

"We don't know when we're going to see each other again or how much time do we have; we better make the best out of it" she stated.

Then she kissed him. Draco automatically closed his eyes. Hermione had learned that kissing Draco was like getting in line for a rollercoaster; and they were just starting the ride. Draco bit her lower lip softly, asking for entrance and she opened her mouth eagerly.

Before she knew, Draco plunged into her mouth, stroking and exploring every inch of it. Hermione moaned and started to run her hands up and down his sides, relishing with feeling of his smooth and hot skin under her palms. She could feel Draco's muscles moving; and his heartbeat echoed through all of his body. Then he broke the kiss with no warning.

"Tell me what it is" he said panting.

Hermione tilted her head to the right, acting like she was innocent. Damn it, she knew Draco was suspecting.

"What is what?" she was proud of herself. Her voice was steady and the way she had pronounced that question could actually make someone believe she didn't know anything.

"You were about to jump off a cliff seconds ago. And now you want to-?" she cut him off.

"Yes. And I need a distraction" he didn't believe her. Hermione could see it in his eyes. She felt his gaze drilling inside her head.

"Hermione…" he started, trying to get away from her. But she grabbed him by the shoulder and threw him on his back onto the bed. Then she straddled him and held his wrists above his head with precision.

She leaned forward, letting her hair fall and caress his bare chest. Draco shivered and locked eyes with her. Draco was about to give in, she just needed to push a little bit further. And so she did; she started to rub against him, trying to make him hard.

"You're evil" he said, clenching his jaw.

Hermione gave him butterfly kisses along his jaw, his chin and then she nibbled his earlobe.

"But you love it" she whispered.

Draco released himself from her grip and switched places with her as fast as he could, taking her by surprise. Now he was above her, then he kissed her with passion. Starting in her mouth and then going all the way down to her neck.

"You asked for it, Granger"

Hermione groaned when he bit her neck. She could feel Draco's hands working her/his shirt upward, his palms wandering all over her belly. She felt like a puddle of jelly when he reached her breasts.

Draco slid his hands along her sides, and then he grabbed her by the waist and sat her up. And as he removed her shirt, he lifted her up so she could straddle him again.

Hermione wrapped her arms around him, just above his shoulders. Then, trying to not show her desperation, she reached up to grip the back of his neck and pull him up for a kiss, capturing his lips with passion and love. Draco groaned as the kiss deepened, and if it wasn't for the lack of air, she would've never let him break apart. He leaned into her, burying his face in her chest as she arched her back. Hermione could feel his hot breath against her bare and sensitive skin. Her heart skipped a beat when Draco bit her left nipple, at the same time, he was caressing her other breast with his hand, teasing her.

She was very aware of the hardness in that specific part of Draco's anatomy. Teasing back, she started to grind her hips against his, earning a low moan from the Slytherin guy. Draco stopped his caresses and lifted his head up.

"Fuck, Hermione" he hissed.

Hermione smirked as she drove her hands between their bodies and tried to unzip Draco's trousers and at the same time she slightly pressed her hand on the growing bulge between his legs. This time he groaned, a crease forming between his brows. Draco then kissed her neck, leaving a love bite again, Hermione flinched a little but she loved the feeling at the same time. She couldn't believe it was all going to end soon…

While she was lost in her thoughts, Draco stood up really quick to remove his only piece of clothing, then he went back to bed and she clung to him like her life was on it. He placed her head on the soft and mushy pillows, and then he kissed her cheeks, her eyes and her forehead; then finally kissed her lips.

He would've kept going, but she couldn't take it anymore.

"Draco, please…" she said in his ear.

"What?" he was about to lose it too.

Before she could even speak the sentence that had been formed in her mind, she shivered in anticipation. Hermione looked into his eyes; years ago they would've been icy blue. But now, they were just blue and she could happily drown in them.

"Make love to me" Hermione said with a tender and low voice, more like a purr.

And Draco happily obeyed. In a blink of an eye he removed her knickers and lined himself up with her body, and without hesitation, he plunged into her. Taking their breaths away, he started to pump in and out of her, slowly torturing her.

Hermione placed her legs around his hips, guiding him even deeper into her. His thrusts then became faster and shorter; Hermione dug her nails on his back with every movement. Being with him made her feel complete; like if suddenly life made sense again.

Then she felt herself reaching the edge. It was standing at the hem of a cliff and she was about to jump, but somehow Hermione was still unsure of taking the final leap and start the free falling. The tension increasing in the lower part of her belly was going to drive her insane, and when Draco kissed her, swallowing her soft cries… she thought that maybe she was not going to survive.

"Let yourself go, Hermione" he whispered.

And so she did. She held him closer to her, squeezing him both in and out of her, Hermione shut her eyes and focused on the ocean of feelings and emotions that flooded through her in that same moment. She wasn't still done when she felt Draco exploding into her, sending fire through all of her body.

They remained still for a moment, Draco's weight gently crushing her as she rubbed his back. When he rolled off of her she sighed, knowing that the harder part was now to begin. He drew her near to him and hugged her as he closed his eyes and dozed off.

Hermione waited, she took her time to breathe in his scent for one last time and then placed a loving kiss on his lips. And before she could change her mind, she released herself from his embrace and stood up.

Her wedding dress had been torn into pieces and she couldn't wear it back on, so she walked into his closet and put some of his own clothes on. Sure she could've cast a spell or something, but she liked the first idea better. It didn't matter if he wasn't leaving tomorrow, but she knew deep inside that when he woke up the next morning and realize she wasn't there, Draco would know that she'd taken the business in her own hands. He'd probably get mad at her… really mad.

Her methods were not questionable; she only cared about the outcome. And just like that, she walked out of his bedroom and tiptoed out of his house. Got on the broom and took a deep breath before flying off.

* * *

_**A longer chapter this time :)**_

_**Thank you all for the reviews! RegularTeen, izzie, RandomPanda 13, write - this -song, Empress of Verace, lolo, Impulse 53669... THANK YOU! Also to the people who followed (SO HAPPY!)  
**_

_**Hope you keep liking it :) and also, sorry if I made mistakes. I usually spot them when it's too late O_o  
**_


	6. Free Falling

VI

Before heading to Grimmauld Place, she needed to go back to Luna's.

It took less than half an hour, but it felt like forever. Hermione forced herself to keep her sight straight, never look down, never look up… Somehow Hermione was sure that her resolution was only going to last for a couple minutes, she was going to look down sooner or later; hopefully later.

She was also really cold; Draco's clothes were not warm enough. The wind was blowing really hard against her, and her current emotional state was killing her, she felt weak and if her now frozen bare hands didn't grip the broomstick hard enough, she was sure she could fall anytime. Just the thought of falling sent shivers up her spine and she shut her eyes for a moment.

That was even worse. All she could see was Draco's face, the haunting memory of his touch still lingering on her skin. A warm wave of heat ran through her veins when she recalled his kisses. Merlin, she was going to miss him like hell. Then she snapped her eyes open again and took a deep breath. It was not a good idea to think of him in that precise moment... and she couldn't help to look down then. Her soul abandoned her body and she started to feel ill. She was sure she was going deaf and she feared that she could faint anytime.

Hermione hurried then.

When she arrived to Luna's, she was surprised to see her blonde friend standing outside the house. Maybe she had been waiting for her or maybe she had had a hunch. Hermione landed and fell straight to the ground, bruising her knees in the process; her legs were not responding anymore and when she stood up with Luna's help, she was a trembling bundle of nerves.

Luna grabbed her by the shoulders and as they walked inside the house, Hermione started to second guess what she was doing. She could still go back to Draco, sneak back in and slip between the sheets and embrace him until there was no tomorrow…

_But tomorrow's going to come, and it's going to bite me in the ass if I do that. I can't go back._

Hermione thought.

"How did it go?" Luna asked.

"First, it was awesome. But now it all sucks" she said rapidly, freeing herself from Luna's arms.

Her friend's big blue eyes sparkled with curiosity. But she'll have to wait. Luna grinned at her when she noticed what she was wearing.

"I'm sure it was awesome" Luna smirked "But, what went wrong?"

Hermione thought that Luna knew enough, she didn't need to know anything else about Draco or about the relationship she shared with him. So Hermione just shook her head, trying to make Luna understand that that was a subject they'd have to discuss some other day. Fortunately, Luna got the message and kept quiet.

"I have to go now, Luna. Can't stay any longer" Hermione said as she made her way across the living room, making a zigzag to avoid hitting the furniture and other things Luna had spread all over the place.

"Is something wrong going on? Something massive, I mean" Luna's frown was troubling, she was now worried.

Hermione sighed, stopping just in front of the chimney.

"I can't say. I don't really know what's going on. But I'm hoping I'll find out soon, thanks for everything you've done, I'll keep in touch"

Luna probably had something else to say, but Hermione grabbed a fist of floo powder and disappeared in the green flames. She was glad the floo network was not saturated, and faster than a blink, she was standing inside her flat.

She regretted taking off Draco's clothes, she missed the smell of him all over her. But Hermione was not going to show up wearing male clothes, explaining the reason why she needed help was already hard enough. She couldn't even start to imagine how Harry was going to react… he was an understanding man, but she was sure it was going to take him quite a long time to adjust himself to the idea of her leaving Ron, his best friend, for Draco Malfoy, his enemy.

In the worst of cases, Harry would never accept it and she'd lose her other best friend. But Hermione didn't want to think about that possibility; so she just threw on some jeans and a jacket, a pair of boots and just when she was about to leave, she felt dizzy.

Her nerves were going to kill her. She took a deep breath and sat on her bed, resting her elbows on her knees as she leaned her head down, massaging her temples. Then, just like a flow of sorrow, she pictured her friends leaving her… Her mind was suddenly full of awful images. In her thoughts, she even loses Draco. And it's then when Hermione faints.

* * *

When she wakes up; daylight's going through her windows. She had fainted for the whole night! Hermione checked the watch on her wrist and found that was seven o'clock. Harry was probably there by now, but the chance of him being with other people had increased.

Not wanting to wait any longer, she stood up immediately and went to the bathroom to brush her teeth. Right after that, she left.

While Hermione was on her way to Grimmauld Place, she tried to think of ways to tell Harry what was going on… and none of them was good enough, all of them made her look like some cold hearted "witch", one that didn't care at all about Ron.

She remembered how it all began in the Chamber of Secrets, how sweet their relationship was at first and how sure and safe she had felt with him. When had things changed that much between them? The days when she corrected his grammar and pronunciation were still very near to her. Merlin, even first year felt like yesterday. And just like she could remember everything about Ron and Harry; she could always remember Draco's gaze and how she had always been curious about him. It was odd… She had always felt attracted to Draco and yet, she always believed that it was something she could live with, something she could ignore. He even helped her with the task when he called her mudblood and insulted her friends. It was easy not to like him… but Hermione could never hate him.

Being with Ron was okay, it was something secure and expected. But being with Draco was natural and explosive, fighting and laughing was part of the charm. She could've go on with Ron if It hadn't been for Draco; the ferret had shown her a side of love she'd never known, something that it was completely lethal and yet essential to survive… and once she embraced that awesome feeling, Hermione knew she was never going to able to let go.

It was when those thoughts flooded her mind that she felt stupid. How could she ever believe that it was going to work with Ronald if she knew that it was Draco the one who could make her happy?

_You selfish little witch._

A few minutes later she was knocking on the door of Grimmauld Place.

She was expecting Kreacher or… something, but it was Ginny the one who opened the door. Hermione was about to say something when Ginny jumped on her, hugging her with an overpowering strength

"What happened with the password and all that stuff?" Hermione asked as she tried to hug Ginny back, unsure of what was going on.

"Forget about the password! We were worried about you! Where have you been?" Ginny asked.

"It's a long story" she said harshly "Uhm, Gin… Is Harry here?" she asked trying to free herself. Ginny didn't let go completely, she was still holding her by the shoulders when she gave her an accusing look.

"He's inside. And _you_ are hiding something. What is it?" Ginny asked.

"I swear I'll tell you later, but right now I need to talk to Harry. Could you please let me in?"

"Sure" replied Ginny.

_Okay… This is it. Remember you're doing this for Draco… Because you love him… You can do it Hermione._

Hermione braced herself as she walked through the hallways.

* * *

_**Heeey! Sorry it took me soooo long to update. You see, my birthday was last Wednesday and I didn't have enough time to write. And the celebration extended until, well, yesterday. It's until now that I could finish writing this short chapter (sorry about that). Hope you didn't abandon me or the story O_o  
**_

_**Hope you enjoyed this part and hopefully, I'll update before Thursday :D  
**_


	7. Everybody Talks

VII

As she got closer and closer to Harry, as his features became clearer and his cologne filled her nostrils, Hermione felt her breathing starting to falter, air escaping from her lungs and her mouth becoming completely dry. Ginny was walking right in front of her, guiding. She had been watching her friend's red hair bounce to the sides with every step Ginny took; she had watched the pictures hanging on the walls, Hermione was striving for control, trying her best to calm down… But she couldn't, not even for a split of second. And when she found herself standing inside the kitchen with Harry and Ginny all alone, a little part of her conviction broke down.

Harry hugged her too then. That was odd.

"Where have you been Hermione? We were going out of our heads" said Harry as he started to pull away, then he smiled at her… a real smile "Never mind. How are you?" he asked.

Hermione sighed.

Bloody hell, she was Hermione Granger. She had helped to defeat Lord Voldemort and now she was afraid of telling her best friend about Draco? She was brave, self-confident. She was there for a reason… This was no time for hesitation.

"Can I talk to you alone for a second?" she requested.

Harry turned his gaze to Ginny and she tilted her head, then she nodded and left the room. The kitchen was totally silent, Hermione felt like she was altering the natural balance when she spoke.

"You might want to sit down, Harry" it was a mere suggestion, but Harry sat down and waited for her to say something. But she just rested her back on the counter and crossed her arms, as if she was the one who had to listen.

"Hermione?" Harry called.

"Oh right" Hermione shook her head.

"What is it? Why are you so nervous? What did Lavender tell you?" asked Harry.

She lost the train of thought. Her mind went blank and the words she was about to say never got to be pronounced. What did Lavender have to do with her? She never liked that girl, never heard of her again.

"Lavender? Did I miss something?" Hermione asked.

Harry's expression spoke for him. That was a question she didn't want to know the answer to. Hermione locked eyes with Harry and waited for the answer.

"Maybe you'd want to sit-" Harry started saying as he slowly stood up.

"No. I don't want to sit down. Why are you talking about Lavender?" Hermione was frowning.

"I thought that was your motive for being here. I never imagined… Oh… We need Ginny then" her friend spoke as he stood up and went to open the kitchen doors, calling Ginny as he did. When the Weasley girl arrived, her expression was odd.

"What happened?" she asked.

"Hermione doesn't know about Lavender" Harry said.

"But I thought that was the reason why…"

"Could you please just tell me what the hell is going on and stop talking about this matter as if I wasn't standing right here? You're making me nervous!" the bushy haired girl shouted while she tapped her heel on the cold floor.

"Fine" Ginny said.

Hermione wasn't sure how long it took to tell her the whole story, but by the time they had finished, she actually needed to sit down. Apparently, the reason why she'd left Ron alone was pretty clear to them, and it didn't have anything to do with Draco Malfoy.

The day of the wedding, Ron had approached them. He was really nervous.

He was already standing in the aisle and whatever he did a lot of people would see. There were journalists, family, friends and other people any of them knew but it was too late to kick out.

"Relax, mate. Seems your tie is strangling you" Harry mocked as he stood up to talk to Ron.

"It actually is. Harry, I've done something terrible" Ron was pale. Neither of them knew when had Ginny joined them, but it was her voice the one they heard next.

"What have you done now, you prick?"

Ron gulped and stuffed his hands into his pockets. The suit he was wearing was pretty much alike to the one he wore in fourth year, though this one was more tailored and it was not burgundy, it was black.

"I…" started Ron after what had felt like ages of suspense.

"Hurry! Hermione can come any second!" spat Ginny.

Maybe it was the pressure they were making on him or maybe Ron couldn't hold it any longer, but he shouted his next sentence.

"I cheated on her!" he yelled.

Harry and Ginny dismayed and Ron's face was utterly red. Everyone near them was looking and waiting for something else to happen. Enough show for them.

Then, they went inside a little room that was near them and Ron confessed that it only happened once… But Lavender was pregnant and she had threatened to tell Hermione if Ron left her. And that had happened less than six hours ago, Ron was literally dying.

When Hermione showed up, he was struggling with his own demons… And when she ran away, he thought Lavender had something to do with it. They had waited for ten minutes or so, hoping that Hermione would come back. When nothing happened, Ron said that it was all over.

Everybody should go home.

Back in the Burrow, everyone was making questions and demanding answers. Ron had to tell them everything, and despite the insults and multiple glares, they all said they'd be there for him and Lavender. After that, they had tried to find her, none of them ever suspected she'd be with Luna (who couldn't attend to the wedding because of some weird magical creature living in her garden).

End of story.

"Wow" was all Hermione could say.

"We're really sorry we didn't tell you before" Harry was crouched in front of her, resting his forearms on her knees.

"It's okay. I disappeared, remember?" Hermione mocked.

She had cheated on Ron too, and Hermione was pretty sure she deserved it, but it stung her. What hurt the most was knowing that Lavender was pregnant, if she had decided to forget about Draco and go on with Ron, cheating was something she was sure she could forgive… But having a proof of the cheating as a constant reminder was painful.

"Where's Ronald now?" she asked with a low voice, almost frightened of listening to something she already knew it was coming.

Ginny confirmed what she feared.

"He's with Lavender now, trying to figure out what they're going to do… because, you know… They don't love each other and having a baby together it's going to be real tough" said Ginny.

They just kept quiet for a moment, a dreadful silence creasing between them. Hermione felt her head was going to explode. It was not like she loved Ron or that she was jealous… but she felt like Lavender had stolen something from her, and she hated her.

"Mione, don't want to rude… But if Lavender is not the reason why you're here, what brought you to Grimmauld Place at this time in the morning?" the boy who lived reminded her _why_ she was there.

"Right…" she said. Now she was not going to ask Ginny to leave, she just couldn't. Hermione tried to remember her previous speech, but not even a word came to her mind. So she just clasped her hands to together and smiled a little, trying to forget about the "Ron Matter" for a while.

"Uhm, you remember Draco Malfoy?" she started, the look on Harry and Ginny's face was priceless, they weren't going to say anything, so Hermione just kept going "Well… uhm… I sort of _love _him" that was the last thing she said before burying her face between her hands.

Harry and Ginny almost fell to the floor, but Hermione forgot about them and started to tell the story to herself. How they met in Berlin, how she fell completely and utterly in love with him… How it all happened while she was with Ron and that she hated herself for cheating on him. In that part she had to take a look at them, it didn't matter what happened before, Harry was Ron's best friend and Ginny was his sister, somehow she'd betrayed them too by sleeping with Draco. Fortunately, they both were serious, waiting for her to stop talking.

She was about to explain the main point of her story when Harry broke in.

"So you… cheated on Ron, with Draco Malfoy? And now you love him? You ran away because of him?" Harry asked, more to himself than to her.

"I never wanted to hurt Ron, or lie to him… even to you, guys. But, you see, I was thinking the exact same thing, "Draco Malfoy?"… I thought I could just forget about him and go on with my life. I realized it wasn't possible when I was already walking down the aisle…" Hermione explained "Please don't hate me" she cried.

"We don't hate you. It's just that… This is shocking. Don't get me wrong, my brother's a prick but this would've hurt him like hell" Ginny stated.

"I know…"

"Hermione… You do know that we're going after Draco? Also death eaters, you need to tell me where he is. There are trials that need to be made. Justice" Harry's voice was dangerously low, more like an order than an option.

"I can't turn him in. I promised I wouldn't say anything; I came to you behind his back. Harry, you know Draco didn't choose to be a death eater, he was forced into it. He didn't even kill anyone" Hermione plead.

"But he witnessed horrible things and even cursed Madam Rosmerta with an Imperius!" Harry shouted.

This time, Hermione pressed her hands to Harry's cheeks.

"Harry, I'm begging you. Please, _help us_"

* * *

_**So glad you didn't leave! :')**_

_**TypewriterClick, I'll keep that in mind. I love them too (can't eat properly after reading some tragic ending). And RegularTeen, THANK YOU!  
**_

_**I'll try to update sooner, I promise. Thanks for reviewing and reading :D This chapter was inspired by all of you.  
**_


	8. Hit

_**Hey! **_

_**A few things I gotta say before you read:  
**_

_**1st: Astoria joined death eaters. So she's evil as hell.  
**_

_**2nd: Beauty and The Beast comes back today! So excited! If you watch the show, brace yourselves! :O  
**_

_**3rd: ENJOOOOOY! :D  
**_

* * *

VIII

(edited)

For a second, Hermione believed she had seen a glimpse of sympathy in Harry's eyes. Her grip on him was steady and delicate, hard enough to make him stay in place. Her expression was dead serious; this was one of the most important things she had ever asked Harry to do for her and she was trusting blindly in her friend's good heart. Considering the amount of time Harry had been silent, Hermione was rather surprised when Harry burst out in laughter. He somehow managed to get his head released from her hands and stood up.

"Good prank, Hermione" he said between laughs.

Hermione couldn't believe her eyes. Harry Potter thought she was a liar and she was speechless. What was she supposed to do now? Hermione felt her blood boiling in her veins, she was so angry she couldn't pronounce a single word. So she took a deep and paused breath, trying to make oxygen reach her brain. If she didn't calm down, she was probably going to commit a murder.

How ironic could it be that Harry Potter died in hands of someone who helped him defeat the darkest magician ever?

_Not that much…_

Hermione thought to herself. She stood up and placed her hands on her hips, took a step forward and almost slapped Harry out of his uncontrollable laughter episode.

"I'm not fucking joking, Potter. I mean it" she said between gritted teeth "Everything I told you is, indeed, real. I need your help and I would really appreciate it if you just quit that stupid giggling of yours" Hermione finished.

Harry did stop laughing. Okay, now he had gotten the message.

"You… you're not joking?" he asked in disbelief.

"No. For the things you said before, seemed like you had believed in me" Hermione hissed.

Harry frowned.

"I… Hermione, I can't help you" he said finally.

Hermione's heart sank to her feet.

"Wh-what?" she strived to keep standing straight. Her legs felt like jelly.

"It's Draco Malfoy the one we're talking about. Hermione, if I'm going to do anything, is track him down and hopefully put him in Azkaban. Not going to help him hide" Harry's voice was cold. She felt like she was talking to a stranger.

"You're my friend! I practically risked my life for seven years to save your ass, now all I'm asking is for you to help me… and you "Hermione shouted "You hold back because of some stupid memories!?" angry tears were pouring from her eyes.

"He could not have killed anyone, but he's not innocent" he spat "You know that"

"He's not evil… I'm not even asking this for him. I'm asking this for me, because I don't want him to die or see him rot inside Azkaban" she cried.

"He's broken, Hermione. And if you stick with him, you're going to end up with your heart broken. As your friend, I don't wanna see you go through that"

"He can be fixed" she said, Hermione knew she was right about that statement "But if you're not going to help, I'm getting the fuck out of here. Thanks for nothing, Potter" she said turning around.

"I can't let you leave, Hermione. You're a walking mess!" he said tenderly.

"Don't pretend you care about me, if you did, you'd be helping me"

That's when Ginny broke in, she grabbed Harry's arm and reached forward to hold Hermione's forearm too. The redhead smiled a little and then pinched them. Both Harry and Hermione flinched in pain.

"You both are acting like kids. Harry, you can help. Malfoy can help you tracking down death eaters; you could also listen to his side of the story. If Hermione fell for him, he can't be that bad… Can he?" Ginny asked looking at Harry.

Harry slightly nodded.

"And Hermione, you do know that Draco isn't going to come out of this unpunished" that wasn't a warning.

"I know" Hermione said with a low voice.

"We're crystal clear then?" Ginny asked.

They nodded and then Ginny gave Hermione an odd look.

"You need to clear things up with Ron, when he comes back. With that said, go bring Malfoy"

* * *

It was a "crack" on the roof what made him come out of his mind.

He had been going nuts ever since he opened his eyes and noticed Hermione was not with him, not even in the house. Draco was sure she had probably ran away, scared of the things he'd told her. He couldn't blame her though; she was just being polite when she said she wasn't leaving. No one with mental sanity would stay. He had spent near an hour feeling heart broken… until he considered the possibility of Hermione trying to help. What if she had gone with Potter? Oh, if that was the case he didn't believe, not even for a second, that he was able to forgive her.

Draco was thinking of ways to scold her, considering if he should ignore her or just leave without telling her when the "crack" made him lose focus. And there it was again… More like footsteps. He walked towards a window and peeked through it.

Nothing.

It was probably just a cat. He shrugged his preoccupation off and sat down on the couch. Just when he was about to return to the Granger matter, he heard footsteps inside the house. He immediately stood up and started his way downstairs. He had left his wand somewhere in the living room or the kitchen, he was sure about that.

_Clack... clack..._

A woman's high heels echoing through the house.

Was Hermione back so soon? No, it couldn't be her... She never wore high heels unless it was an special event.

Then he saw her. Her silky hair… her figure… Astoria.

"Where are you, Draco?" her voice cutting the silence of the house. Draco had forgotten the sound of her voice, how sweet it was when they were starting and how much he hated it at the end of it all.

He heard she was co-working with death eaters, trying not to get killed. And of course, before he knew all of that, he had told her the location of the house; he thought she was the one woman he had been looking for all his life. At the end, she had chosen some other magician she didn't want to reveal the identity of and left him. Draco didn't remember until then, when he saw her standing inside his house.

He had put so much effort trying to forget her and moving on that she had actually vanished from his life and his mind. Draco had done a hell of a job... And now it was coming back to kick him in the ass.

"Come on. You probably know I'm not alone, it's just a matter of time before we find you" she said.

Draco thought of a plan, reckoning for possibilities. He could tackle her and get his wand and disapparate. It was a great plan until he heard more footsteps breaking in, that reminded him of the other death eaters who were with her. He could use the chimney and the floo powders… but then they would know his location.

"Draco?" he heard someone calling from the outside.

He went back on his own steps, extremely careful not to make any sound and peeked through the window again. This time it was Hermione.

She was going to come in, and she was going to get caught. Okay, fuck plans. He sprinted downstairs; then he heard a yelp and saw Hermione being held by an unmasked death eater he couldn't recognize.

"Hello, love" greeted Astoria when he was standing in the living room. There was another death eater there.

Draco took a quick look around the place and saw his wand placed on a coffee table, just behind where Astoria was standing. He needed to do something now... and fast.

"Mudblood Granger? Really, Draco?" Astoria asked with disgust, shaking her hand in front of him… she was holding her wand.

He didn't know what to say, he was never good at words and Astoria loved long and dramatic speeches. Draco saw Hermione slowly moving her hand inside her pocket, reaching for her wand. The man who was holding her was an idiot, paying attention to everything less Hermione. Astoria was focused on him and the other death eater was eating Astoria alive with his eyes. Okay, Hermione could perfectly do something without being noticed, he just had to keep Astoria's focus on him.

"Thought you'd be dead by now" he spat. Hermione's eyes thanked him for the intromission. She was almost done with getting it out.

Astoria laughed.

"Oh, dear. I'm more useful alive than dead, unlike you" she said "You blood traitor"

Hermione had her wand out by now. Draco was expecting Hermione to cast a spell or something, but she just threw her wand at him.

He had good reflexes and caught it perfectly. Astoria flinched, she was about to hex him.

"_Expelliarmus!_" automatically, Astoria's wand jumped out of her hands and into his.

"_Desmaius"_ he yelled, striking the man holding Hermione "Hermione!" Draco shouted. The lioness then walked quickly towards Astoria and punched her, reminding Draco of third year. The other death eater was approaching them, Draco casted the spell again but missed.

Hermione then immediately ran to him and just as he put his arm around her, they disapparated. He no longer cared about his wand; he'll get it back soon.

* * *

_**Please review and thanks for reading/reviewing! :D x  
**_


	9. Somewhere Only Draco Knows

IX

Part I

It was cold.

Fog was seeping between the tall and leafy trees, caressing the wet and green ground. The soothing noise of a river flowing somewhere near was joining the picture, making it all look like an enchanted charming replica of the Forbidden Forest. You could tell that place was alive. You could hear animals roaming around, squirrels and other living creatures climbing the trees and birds communicating in a song only they could understand.

Only a few rays of light hit the ground, most of them died before even touching the long branches beneath the top of the trees. How could everything survive with such a precarious quantity of sunlight? Without the warming sensation of the sun on their body?

When they apparated there, Hermione's breath was taken away. The air was cool and fresh, but somehow it also felt like it had been trapped between the trees for too long. The crunchy sound their feet made when they stepped on the fallen leafs and branches made the singing of the birds come to a sudden end, leaving everything silent for the moment. Draco's arm was still wrapped around her, the warmth of his body against her own only lasted for a couple seconds, because as soon as he turned his head to look at her, he bluntly pushed her away. Hermione barely had time to think of something to say or do before she stumbled backwards, hitting her back against a tree, stunned by Draco's actions.

Then Draco started to walk away from her, never looking back.

"Draco, what's wrong with you?" she asked as she tried to stabilize again. But he just kept walking, lifting his feet more and more with every step he took. Seemed like she was going to have to chase him "Draco!" she yelled.

"What? Granger, what the hell do you want?" Draco turned around, stopping his quick pace.

"What happened back there? And why are you so mad at me?" Hermione kept approaching him, trying her best not to step in a hole or to get tangled with roots.

He chose to ignore her first question.

"How do you even dare to ask why? You know why! You went to Potter!" he spat.

Hermione was now standing before him. She didn't want to discuss that subject, not there… But the look on Draco's face was dangerous, his eyes warned her. She had no other choice but to talk, yet she was still walking in the confines of fear, too afraid to say anything smart.

"How do you know?" she asked, making it sound like there was a possibility that she had done something different. It was pointless and Hermione knew it, but she wasn't ready to face Draco's wrath. She needed time; time to brace herself for whatever was coming.

"To many people, you're a fucking enigma. Take the Weasel and Potter for example; they've known you for years and somehow they still manage to fuck up, they still don't get you. But to me…" he hissed, placing his hands on her shoulders "To me, Granger, you're an open book. I know you damn well" he said.

Hermione was surprised by the soft way he had placed her hands on her. That scared her; made her realize that Draco was never going to hurt her in a physical way… but an emotional one.

"When I woke up and felt the empty space next to me, Granger, I was left with only two options "Draco continued "First one: You ran away and never intended to come back or, second and most likely to happen option: You went to Potter. Now, tell me _love_ "he pronounced that word with annoyance", which of the two was it?" he gave her a creepy smile.

She couldn't answer. And that was all he needed.

"Just what I thought" Draco said. He lifted his hands from her shoulders and turned around, walking away from her.

"I was only trying to help!" she said, following him.

"I told you, specifically, not to tell anyone. Especially Potter and what do you do? Go straight to him! Like a kid who does exactly what he's told not to" Draco shook his head "You betrayed me, again!"

Hermione stopped.

"So you're just going to leave me here?" that sentence made Draco stop again "I don't even know where we are"

This time he didn't turn around. He just took a deep breath and stood still.

"Sweden. We're in Sweden" he said.

"Great" Hermione sighed "You know you can't run away forever" she sat on a log next to her, she was tired from swerving all the roots and from keeping up to Draco's pace.

"Watch me" he answered harshly, and then he kept walking.

Hermione didn't want to keep arguing, she just wanted to stop all the fighting for a minute. Draco knew where he was going, and she had no intention of losing sight of him so she followed him. He didn't seem to care that she was either.

When they fell silent the birds resumed their singing, and Hermione tried to focus on that. They were walking on tricky ground and she didn't want to fall. Draco, on the other hand, was having no trouble at all. It seemed like his feet knew exactly were to step, as if the path was somehow a line he was following. His moves were swift and silent, like a hunter.

After what felt like hours of walking, Hermione could see the outline of a small house in a forest glade. She was relieved.

The remaining distance between the forest and the house looked like miles, so she just focused on stepping in the right places, avoiding puddles of mud. Then she ran into Draco, hitting her face against his back. He didn't say anything, just a low growl coming out of his throat. Hermione muttered a "sorry" and then stepped back, they had reached their destination.

It was a small cabin. When she was little, her mother once read her the story of Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, and the cabin she had before her eyes reminded her of the one in the tale. Draco walked to the door and opened it, the door frames screeched with the movement and the floor cracked a little when Draco walked in, but he didn't care. He left the door open for her.

"_Lumos_" he whispered.

With the tip of Astoria's wand as a guide, he walked around and started to light some candles, then he used the famous Wingardium Leviosa to accommodate furniture. It only took him a few minutes to make the whole place habitable again; Hermione wondered how long had It been since he last visited this place.

The cabin only had two windows, a couch, a chimney, a bed and table set with two wooden chairs. Then she noticed a small stove on the corner. She didn't feel uninvited, but she was nervous when she closed the door behind her. Draco looked at her from above his shoulder and then jumped onto the bed, closing his eyes after he landed there.

"Draco…" she started.

"Shut up, Granger" Draco said.

Hermione walked to the bed and sat on the edge. He didn't say anything.

"Draco, we need to go back. Not right now, but soon. I'm not going to let you continue with this stupid life style of yours" Hermione muttered.

"Right, back to England where we can get caught even more easily" Draco opened his eyes, looking at her with anger "You can go if you want, though. I'm sure Potter is going to protect you" he said with a bitter voice.

"If I leave I'm never going to see you again. I meant it when I said I was going to stay" Hermione took a risk placing her hand on his right knee, he didn't shy away "Do you love me?" she asked.

Some of the anger in his eyes diminished, Draco bit his lower lip as if he was trying to hold back the answer. But it didn't work.

"You know I do" he said "I love you"

Hermione's heart beat went crazy.

"Then do this for me" Hermione plead "So we can have a normal life, with no worries at all. Stop being such a selfish and proud prick" she said.

Just when she thought she was getting somewhere, Draco closed his eyes again and remained silent. Hermione fixed his eyes on him and almost died when she noticed he had fallen asleep. Why did it have to be so hard? He may have called her a little girl, but he was holding back because of things that happened when they were kids. Just like Harry.

Hermione cuddled against him and cried until she fell asleep too. Maybe Morpheus could take away all her worries for a couple hours.

* * *

Bloody hell. He wasn't asleep. It nearly killed him when he heard her cry, when he felt her tears wetting his shirt… He wanted to hold her in his arms and tell her that everything was going to be alright. But he didn't know if he was even going to get out of this alive.

So he just pretended he was asleep, he let her cry until her breathing became even, and she relaxed her body. What was he going to do now? Hermione didn't deserve to be dragged into this, but he was now sure Hermione was going to stick with until the very end… and that only added stress to his already wrecked mind.

England was not safe anymore. Now death eaters knew where he had been living, they would probably stay around, waiting for him to stupidly come back. Draco knew he couldn't stay hidden in that Swedish forest forever, and if he decided to go back to England, Hermione would take to him to Potter. The idea of being helped by Harry Potter bothered him, it wounded his ego. He was going back and forth with himself, wandering like a fool. He knew deep inside what he had to do. Draco was aware people didn't believe him innocent, he was going to pay for something… at least for getting marked. But he didn't want to. He was afraid… and he would never say that out loud. It was better to let Hermione believe he was just being an idiot than to let her know what was really going on, fear was eating him up alive.

He cursed his father. Hating someone that much couldn't be healthy but he utterly hated him. He was a kid when Lucius started to fuck up his life, he had his hands tied. And when he grew up and could actually do something about it, it was too late.

_He was the Dark Lord's bitch. It's a shame they both ended fucking me up too…_

His father had destroyed his mothers life, dragging her into all the sickening life style… She was the only reason he liked to go home, to the Malfoy Manor. He promised he'd never be like his father; and yet there he was, dragging Hermione to the bottom of the pit with him. And just like his mother, she was going to stay. Not because he asked her to, but because she loved him. Narcissa had loved Lucius more than he deserved to… The similarity of the situation was painful to him, was he really going to do the same to Hermione?

_No. I am not…_

Draco couldn't sleep. He needed something to eat or drink, a tea would do. He made an attempt to stand up when Hermione hugged him. She was awake again.

"I know you're mad, but please don't go… It's cold in here" Hermione whispered, holding him tighter.

"Let me set the fire on, then" Draco suggested.

"Later, please do it later. Stay here, don't move… Just… stay"

Draco sighed. He lifted his weight off of the mattress and told Hermione to do the same, that way they could cover up with the blankets beneath them. They were already warm when Draco tossed them on; he hadn't realized how cold he was until he was holding Hermione in his arms (giving in to his desire) under the blankets.

"I'm still angry" Draco said.

"I know" she said nuzzling into his neck "But we can continue fighting tomorrow"

* * *

_**For some reason I couldn't sleep and I felt... romantic? **_

_**I needed to somehow write about Draco struggling to be mad at Hermione, and failing at it. Now they're on the run together, not just Draco :D (Not sure if I should be happy about that...). I know Draco can be a bit indecisive, I'm sorry about that. HOPE YOU LIKED THIS CHAPTER!  
**_

_**Oh, and the story's about to get lemony again... Just warning you.  
**_

_**THANK YOU FOR THE REVIEWS!  
**_


	10. Somewhere Only Draco Knows, Part II

X

_Somewhere Only Draco Knows, Part II_

It had been two days since they arrived. Draco still had no plans of talking to Hermione again; he had his mind busy, trying to come up with a plan or something he could do to avoid getting the both of them killed. So far, nothing seemed to be good enough. It didn't matter how hard he thought, at the end some death eater appeared and casted an _Avada_ on them. Draco feared death, what was left after life he didn't know and he didn't feel like finding out just yet… Much less with Hermione taking the same risk. Back in his house when Astoria broke in, he had panicked.

_Astoria_. She never got marked but she helped death eaters as if she was actually (more like physically) one of them, after all she was just as evil and her mind was just a wicked. There was something queer about her, something he refused to see when they were together. Astoria was obsessed with pure blood just as much as his father, maybe that was the reason why Lucius liked her that much. The reason why he always tried to set them up and felt so eagerly happy when they started to date. He was content at first too, but the feeling didn't last long. Draco has believed Astoria was the one until one day, he paid more attention to the direction he was heading… and the possible destination didn't attract him at all, for it was somewhere just as dark as the place he was trying to run away from, somewhere where the Dark Lord's ideology was still taken like a saint's word.

When he started to "come back in reason", Astoria accused him of being a blood traitor, she said he had gone insane. She disappeared after that argument, and a few days later, he saw her holding hands and kissing another man. It was stupid, but Draco felt hurt, so terribly hurt… it only got worse when the Ministry resumed their hunt. That's when he started running away and somehow, he also started to move on. It was amazing how changing your surroundings can change your feelings too, all at once. Then he glanced at the girl who was with him.

Hermione was moving around the place, she looked like a bird inside its cage. Her hair was frizzy and messy, and she had been trying to fix it for an hour now. He was holding back the laughter since he was determined to ignore her. Still, Draco couldn't stop himself from stretching his commissures into a soft smile. Then he looked somewhere else, not wanting her to notice he had been staring at her.

"How long is this going to last?" Hermione growled to herself, referring to her hair.

He ignored her.

"How long is your tantrum going to last?" she asked with a sad look on her face "I don't like it when you don't talk to me. I even prefer to be back in Hogwarts, back then at least you said something"

Draco remained silent, but he lifted his sight just enough to have a good look at her.

"We need a plan" she said, giving up with her hair. He hadn't said a word to her after the day they arrived, before dozing off. He knew his actions were hurting her, but he just couldn't stand the fact that Hermione had lied to him again. He needed to be able to trust her and every time she seemed to be trust worthy again, she fucked everything up.

_She's just trying to help you…_

He thought.

_But I don't want any help. Less from Potter. _

"Draco, please. Stop this" Hermione begged.

Draco sighed and folded his arms on his chest. He frowned and ran his tongue on his lower lip before talking. Maybe ignoring her for two days was more than enough; he was having a hard time too.

"What do you suggest, Granger?" he asked with no excitement at all. His voice was raspy and deep, he actually liked the sound. And the slight blush on Hermione's face told him that she liked it too.

"Draco" she stared at him, her big brown eyes went through him like a laser "First, we… especially _you_, need to admit we're fucked up" Hermione placed her hands on her hips. She was standing near the table while he was sitting on the bed. They were only like twenty steps away from each other.

"We're fucked up" he admitted after a minute or two. Hermione widened her eyes, surprised by his statement. Then she smiled a little, looking triumphant.

"We need to go back to England, to Grimmauld Place" she said, this time with confidence. He was about to complain but Hermione cut him off "And that's what we're going to do. Don't give me that shit _of I'm too good for that_ or _My ego won't let me_. We're going with Harry. I don't care if I have to drag your sorry ass there" she finished.

"But-" he tried to speak.

"No. We've been doing things your way and it's clearly not working out" she said. He tone was firm until then, but Draco saw a hint of hesitation in her eyes.

"I know. And I am…" that was even harder than he thought " _I am sorry_."

He got up and walked straight to her. When he was in front of her, he reached up and pressed his forehead to hers. Hermione's breathing halted and she looked up to him; her big brown eyes drilling into him made all of the ice inside of him melt away.

"Does it mean we're going back? It's not like I'm asking for your permission" she corrected ", but I want to be sure"

He quirked an eyebrow and smirked at her.

"Are you sure this is a good idea? It's Potter we're talking about, you'd be taking me to him. And it's just a matter of time before we run into Weasley… Do you want to deal with all of that right now?" he said. The truth was, even though his life was in danger every single day and he lived under constant stress, he was pretty comfortable with that life style. Hermione called it stupid, but he didn't hate it.

She then moved away, just a few inches so she could take a better look at his face.

"If not now, when? Running away from your troubles won't make them disappear. Eventually I will have to face Ronald, so will you. And we're not going to sneak around, pretending we have nothing going on between us. I wanna show you off" Hermione winked an eye to him and dedicated him a flirtatious smile.

"You wanna show me off? Now where did that come from?" Draco teased.

"It's a good idea, trust me" Hermione assured him "_We can leave tomorrow"_ she said with a suggestive voice.

Draco felt that little tickle inside his chest, more like a hunch. He believed in her word, her plan was a lot better than anything he could ever come up with… but he also knew that saving his life from death eaters was just step one. There would be consequences after that, it didn't matter how much Hermione begged to Potter or how far he ran away, Draco knew that_ he was heading to Azkaban sooner or later._

* * *

_**Heey! I'm back.**_

_**Finally updated (phew!). I had a rough week, I got my hair cut.. by myself. It turned out to be the MOST STUPID THING I'VE EVER DONE. Soooo tomorrow, or better said, today I'm going to a salon to... (uh-huh...) GET EVEN MORE OF MY HAIR CHOPPED! YAAAY! D': So stress is killing me.  
**_

_**Hoped you liked this short chapter, x.  
**_


	11. A Night In Grimmauld Place

XI

When they finally arrived to Grimmauld Place and knocked on the door, Harry opened. He was frowning, like someone who had been worrying all day and all night without making any pause. Without hesitation and with a small grin on his face, Harry let Hermione in, but with Draco he was reluctant to even move an inch away from the door frame. They both were glaring at each other, years of bad memories flowing back and forth between them.

From the inside, Hermione was trying to think of something to say, something that could make the ice break between them, she was didn't believe Harry capable of denying the entrance to Draco, but he could leave him out a couple hours, that was for sure. And so Hermione thought… but nothing came up. It was night time and this night was a cold one, Draco should be freezing. The night before their departure, Draco had been making all types of questions and each of them she tried to answer, he was nervous and very fond of the idea of staying in Sweden, away from the world, and it was when she had run out of justifications when Draco kissed her.

From past experiences she had learned that just as she liked to read to relax, Draco liked to kiss her, not that it bothered her. Its soothing effect also worked on her, whenever Draco kissed her the rest of the world disappeared, death eaters and aurors didn't matter anymore, it was one of the few moments when she loved the numbness his kisses provided.

Her senses shut down, leaving her vulnerable. Her eyes were blissfully closed and she welcomed the darkness of the back of her eyelids; all she could smell was that scent that was so very his and all she could taste was him, kissing her like there was no tomorrow. It was amazing how a kiss could go from something tender and heart melting to something wild and steamy with just a flick of his tongue. And that night, he kissed her in both ways. At first, he was so sweet Hermione thought she was going to cry, burst out in tears; she couldn't think clearly but a glimpse of '_Merlin, I love this man_' crossed her mind every once in a while. Draco was gently brushing her lips against hers, caressing… and all of a sudden, he plunged inside her mouth, ravaging and exploring every cavity with desperation.

Draco was running his skilled hands along her back, entangling his fingers in her bushy hair and pulling her back slightly just to get a better access. Hermione could feel a heated wave spread all over her, concentrating between her legs, building a tension that only had one way to be released. She wanted him, so, so bad… She tried to draw him closer, putting her arms over his shoulders and locked her hands together, feeling Draco embrace her as well.

In those moments, Hermione hated air. The mere fact that breathing implied breaking away from the kiss made her angry. But she had to breathe and she drew back, and just that little amount of oxygen that flowed to her brain made the fog dissipate from her mind. They were leaving tomorrow, that was not the right night for _that. _After a session of lovemaking between them, they both ended up exhausted and usually slept a lot, and they needed to part in the early morning.

She slowly pulled away, leaving Draco with a dazed look on his face. Disappointment written all over his handsome features.

"Not tonight, Draco. We need to rest, tomorrow's going to be a tough day" she said with a soft voice, trying to gain back composure.

"Tell me again why I agreed to do this, please" Draco walked towards the bed and sat on the edge, sighing as he sank into the mattress.

"Because it's the best thing we can do right now" Hermione spoke "Also because I'm not giving you any other choice, because you love me and because I don't want to see you dead… because I love you" she added

Draco didn't say anything else after that, he just rested his head on the pillows and fell asleep. Hermione, on the other side, couldn't sleep at all. She was dreading over if they were going to make it safe to Grimmauld Place, she wondered if death eaters were waiting for them somewhere near… eventually, when she was completely unable to keep her eyes open, she walked to the bed and crawled right next to Draco, falling into an uneasy sleep.

Next morning, when she woke up, Draco was preparing breakfast. When he noticed she was awake, he turned his head and smirked at her. Hermione wiped the sleep out of her eyes and sat on the bed; she was in that state when your eyes are open but your mind is still trying to come back to life.

"What time is it?" she asked with a raspy voice. At the same time she was fixing her hair in a ponytail and trying to get out of bed.

"Half past midday" Draco answered with amusement. The air was scented with cinnamon and for a minute, Hermione even considered eating… then she went all angry on Draco.

"Half past what!?" Hermione shouted "How could you let me sleep that much!?" she jumped out of bed finally, in a blink of an eye, she was walking all around the place waving her hands above her head.

"You had a rough night" he explained ", and you said we needed to get some rest"

Hermione glared at him, darting fury in his way. Draco only smirked and went back to breakfast, he offered her some but she grunted and said a rather throaty _no_. They had nothing to pack and they could leave any moment, and it bothered her hugely when she looked at Draco so relaxed and happy eating.

"You did it on purpose! Now you stop eating, we're leaving right now!" Hermione shouted. She got Draco to jump a little, but he didn't stand up "Malfoy!" this time she approached him and grabbed him by the fabric of his shirt.

"Slow down, would you?" he said.

The girl quirked an eyebrow.

"Would I?" she repeated with a calm voice. But her voice was all that was calm, inside her head, she had already punched Draco three times and he was knocked out on the floor "Draco, are you five or what?"

"You're acting like my mother" Draco shrugged.

"Fuck you. We're going. Now"

After that, Hermione had somehow managed to apparate with Draco in her flat. She would've toured him all over the place, but they had no time for such a thing. They both took a quick shower and changed their clothes. Well, she took a quick shower. Draco stayed in there forever. When he emerged from the bathroom he was surrounded by a huge cloud of steam. His pace was so slow he seemed to be moving in slow motion, and Hermione had to hurry him during the whole while.

When she checked her watch, she dismayed. Three hours doing absolutely nothing? Time passed by and when Draco was finally dressed, they immediately got on their way… but then, her head started to ache.

"You didn't eat anything, love" Draco said with true concern. When she didn't eat, she got an awful migraine and it would last for hours, no potion or muggle pill could do much about it. But in her already aching head, when Draco pronounced those words, it sounded sarcastic… as if he was mocking her. She glared at him.

"Come on, we'll get you something to eat"

Hermione wondered how Draco knew which her favourite bistro was, because he took her there without hesitating in the way, both of them looking back every once in a while to make sure no one was following them. Death eaters had attacked in London before, this time made no difference. They ate and talked a little, there was tension between them. And just like that, another hour and half was gone. She was about to give up when he finally said they should get going for real.

It was six o'clock when they arrived to Grimmauld Place. Hermione didn't want to think about time anymore, she was just glad they made it safe. Her headache was a non-existent burden now.

Going back to the present, Draco was still outside.

"Grow up, both of you!" said Hermione at last. She shook Harry's shoulder a little and with a grunt, he finally moved and Draco walked in.

Harry led them to the kitchen, there was Ginny and to their dismay… Ron.

"What took you so long? We've been so bloody worried they had caught you!" Ginny said as she walked quickly towards them and hugged both Draco and Hermione. Harry stood there in the corner, watching how his girl accepted their old enemy as if he was some kind of old friend. He admired her for that, but it was something he didn't fully understand.

"Astoria found Draco's place. We fled to Sweden for a couple days, we would've come faster if Draco… Well, it doesn't matter. We're sorry" Hermione was trying her best to ignore that a certain male redhead was staring at her from the kitchen table, she didn't need to look at him to know his eyes were fueled with disappointment and disbelief…

They didn't say much about the reasons why they had taken so long. They all just sat in the kitchen table and discussed how Draco was going to help them catch Astoria and the remaining death eaters, hoping that would soften Draco's sentence… Now he was under an auror's parole, one who would keep him safe until it was necessary. It was just a matter of time before things turned around and they all tried to send Draco into Azkaban.

It was settled that Draco would provide as much information as he could, Harry would do the rest. After the business talk was done, Hermione was left alone with Ron… Ginny took Draco to his new room and Harry joined them after a few minutes. Hermione was nervous, she should be feeling hurt too, Ron had cheated as well… but somehow she didn't feel in the right to do so.

"Draco, huh?" said Ron.

"Lavender, huh?" Hermione responded with the same accusatory tone.

"What happened to us, 'Mione?" Ron asked as he sat rested his back against the wall. He crossed his arms and sighed.

"Nothing; precisely. We just… let it all die in front of us" Hermione frowned, she didn't like having this kind of talks. They all ended with the same sad goodbye "How's Lavender? Heard she was pregnant" Ron gazed at her.

"I'll take care of the baby. But I'm not going to stay with her, I don't love her"

"Oh" was all she could say.

"I'm sorry, Hermione. I never ever thought I'd see you with Malfoy; it hurts to know you started to see him while you were still with me; it bothers beyond words to see you're staying with him and it stunned me when I saw that silly glitter in your eyes whenever you looked at him when we were talking… But it's not like you don't deserve to be happy. We were just not meant to be together, and I'm sorry it took hurting each other for us to realize that"

Hermione looked at Ron with astonishment. When had he grown up so much? When did he become such a mature person? She was expecting some insults and nothing else. But that little speech caught her off guard.

"I'm really sorry too Ron. I never intended to hurt you on purpose, I'm sorry. For everything" she said.

"That doesn't mean I like Malfoy. I still believe he's a prick and he deserves to be in Azkaban"

That felt much more like Ron Weasley. Hermione felt her blood boiling.

"We should call it a day. See you tomorrow, Ron" Hermione made her way out of the kitchen, deciding she was done with the talking and that whatever Ron could say now, was something she didn't want to hear… for it could be nothing good. But that didn't stop Ron from talking.

"He's an idiot!" he said.

"So are you!" Hermione responded, ignoring the need to go back and slap him across the face.

Hermione knew going back to her flat was not safe, now that Death eaters knew she was with Draco they would probably try their best to find out where she lived. They had been lucky in the afternoon, but now she didn't want to risk spending the night there. Hermione was going to stay in Grimmauld Place. When she went upstairs, Harry and Ginny were talking to each other. They both went silent when they saw her standing inches away from them.

"Where's Draco?" she asked.

"Last room to the left" answered Ginny.

Then Harry broke in.

"But you're going to stay in the third floor, last room to the right" he said grabbing her wrist and guiding her upstairs. Hermione almost laughed, but Ginny pressed a finger to her own lips, letting her know it was better for her to shut her mouth. When he finally got her to her room, Ginny asked for a minute alone with Hermione, Harry obliged and left.

"He's having a rough time accepting that you're with Malfoy. That's all" Ginny said shaking her head "How did it go with Ron?"

"Better than I expected. But this was just day one, I don't know how things will go from now on… At the end of the conversation he let me know he didn't think any different of Draco. I guess we just have to be patient and we'll have the old days back" not that she wanted them back.

"Hermione, what were you thinking?" asked Ginny without any hint of sarcasm, she was actually curious about it.

"I wasn't. For the first time in my whole life, Ginny, I didn't over think. I wouldn't stop it even if I could"

"Don't get too caught up in the moment, Granger. Malfoy's full of surprises, we all know that" and with that she walked out the door and abandoned her.

Around midnight, Hermione woke up. She was having nightmares and the last thing she wanted was to go back to sleep. Maybe she could read a book… glance at the stars or go to the kitchen and drink some tea. After what felt like an hour of pondering all those ideas, Hermione finally decided to go for the cup of tea.

She walked out of her room and then she heard footsteps. She went downstairs and followed the sound.

Hermione smirked when she noticed the footsteps came from the inside of the last room to the left. She pressed her ear to the door and heard Draco muttering, he was cursing and she had to hold back a giggle. Smiling, she turned the doorknob and walked in.

Draco was standing in the middle of the place; his hair was messy and he was only wearing sweatpants. His shirt either never existed or he had tossed it somewhere in the room. From the look on his face, she knew he was pissed. She had been the same humor until they got to Grimmauld Place, now they had switched places. Hermione was the happy and teasing one, and Draco was the one who barely managed not to spit fire whenever he talked.

She knew Draco hated all of this, but she was glad they were there. Safe and sound.

"Trouble sleeping?" she asked, closing the door behind her.

"Trouble minding your own business?" he spat back.

The moonlight seeping through the window made his skin gleam, giving him the look of some supernatural and beautiful creature. She sighed, she may be happy, but if he was having one of his moments, she'd better leave him alone.

"Fine. I'll be in the kitchen, if you want some tea, feel free to join me" Hermione spoke.

She turned around and grabbed the doorknob again when suddenly Draco wrapped his arms around her waist and started to leave butterfly kisses on her shoulder. Hermione shivered, she felt air escaping her lungs. She should be used to that feeling by now, whenever Draco did those things she just melted and surrendered to whatever he wanted to do with her… Hermione knew the way she was going to react, and yet it felt like it was the first time he ever touched her.

Draco snaked his hand between her side and her arm, putting it over her own hand on the doorknob.

"Let go of that, Granger" he said biting her earlobe "You're not going anywhere tonight"

She was so tense she couldn't let go of the bloody golden ball, her grip just got tighter. The muscles in her stomach clenched when Draco ran his hands all over it, going upwards to finally cup her breasts. He massaged them, his hands moving with a torturing slow pace, enough to bring her over the edge… but not enough to make her fall.

Then he pressed the front of his body to the back of hers, trapping her between him and the door. Hermione gasped when she felt Draco's hardness pinching her buttocks. His hands were still busy when Draco buried his head in the crook of her neck again.

"Not here, Draco" she said.

"Why not?" he asked. Before Hermione had time to realize what was happening, she felt one of his hands travel south, lifting up her night gown. Soon enough he had his hand under her knickers and was working his magic on her. Hermione let out a small whimper "Can't you keep quite?" he teased.

Hermione thought about casting a _Muffliato, _but then she remembered her wand was in her own room and cursed… how she needed her wand now. Draco made her jump out of her thoughts when his caresses went deeper. She finally let go of the doorknob, resting her palms against the wooden door. It didn't matter how hard she tried to keep silent, low moans escaped from her throat every time she opened her mouth. Draco was everywhere; she could feel him in every fiber of her body, his hands, his mouth… the sound of his frantic breathing mystifying all her thoughts.

From somewhere she didn't know, she reunited all the strength she had and turned around. Then Draco's mouth covered hers, kissing her with an overwhelming passion. His hands were now placed on her hips and he made no attempt of moving them. Hermione took advantage of this and drove her hand between them, pressing it against the growing bulge in his pants.

Draco skipped a heartbeat when Hermione did that. He never stopped kissing her and Hermione smiled when she felt his jaw tensing as she increased the pressure. Hermione wondered how long he was going to last before letting himself lose control. She loved it when he went all wild on her, he took his sweet time torturing her… and the same time he was rough, it was the perfect mix. He was perfect.

The blond man before took her by surprise when he lifted her up, making her wrap her legs around his torso. In that position, Draco was pushing against her entrance. The only barrier between them was their underwear. Hermione felt the fire running through her veins and the heat pooling between her legs with just that thought. She buried her hands in Draco's hair and plunged her tongue inside his mouth, savouring him. How the hell did he manage to be so fucking delicious?

A low "plop" echoed through the room, Hermione bent her head to the right and smirked with anticipation when she noticed Draco had pulled his pants down.

"What are you waiting for?" she asked with despair.

Draco kissed the corner of her mouth before proceeding. He drove his hand between them and touched her, as if he wanted to make sure she was moist enough. He smiled with the result.

"Eager, are we?" Draco teased.

Not bothering to even remove her knickers, he pulled the fabric aside just enough to leave her uncovered and without any warning he entered her. They both gasped at the contact. Draco was not that huge, but nevertheless she needed some time to adjust to him. Hermione nodded and then he started to move.

The friction could drive the both of them insane. Draco's pace was slow and deadly; Hermione stooped her head and bit Draco's shoulder, holding back the noises that were coming out of her throat.

With no effort at all, Hermione sent him deeper within her with a gentle push of her legs. She almost fainted when Draco reached that specific spot inside of her, she could feel her inner walls contracting. And Draco grunted at the feeling, speeding up his thrusts.

"More" Hermione sighed.

In the back of her head, she could hear the banging of the door they were leaning on, with every thrust Draco made her back hit the hard door and the door frames creaked … but she didn't care. Not even a little bit.

Draco sped up, going deeper and faster. Hermione pushed with her legs again and hugged him. She was clinging on him like her life depended on it and like someone who wants to survive, she was never ever going to let go.

"Merlin, Granger" Draco said.

With a few more pumps, Hermione was sent over the edge. She felt herself falling into oblivion, surrounded by nothing else than darkness and lots of fireworks. The lioness wasn't done yet when she felt Draco exploding inside of her; that only increased the intensity of her orgasm.

Neither of them moved, they just stood still, panting.

"I can't believe we just did that" Hermione said between short breaths.

"Oh I can" Draco replied, leaning forward to kiss her gently on the lips "Can you walk?" he asked mockingly.

"Not a long distance"

"Lovely. We'll give Potter or whoever comes in the morning a hell of a surprise when they see you here with me" Draco laughed ", because their attempts to keep us apart didn't work"

* * *

_**Long chapter today :)**_

_**Let me know what you think! THANK YOU for the reviews, and also thank you for worrying about my hair, it is short now... and since I'm curly as hell I look like a freaking lion, but we'll be fine :)  
**_

_**See you soon, xx.  
**_


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